Paper window shade



May 14 1940- A. l.. THExToN 2,200,481

PAPER wINDow SHADE Filed April '7, 1938 WN WU! INN .. .mw-ll Hunk- Patented May 14, 1940 PAPER WINDOW SHADE Arthur L. Thexton, Fort Thomas, Ky., assignor to Clopay Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation ol Maryland Application April 7, 193s, serial No. 200,692

2 Claims.

This invention relates to window shades and has particular application to shades which utilizes a cellulosic sheet material such as paper as the base material, from which the finished shades are fabricated.

In the development of the art of the manufac- .ture of commercially acceptable paper window shades, one of the earlier problems which required solution was the problem of counteracting the natural tendency of the paper shade material to retain the curl imparted to it by the shade roller. A practical mechanical way of correcting this diiiiculty is pointed out in United States patent to Johnson, No. 1,805,733. The present invention is, in one sense, an improvement upon the invention upon which the aforesaid Johnson patent is predicated, in that it contemplates the elimination of the tendency to curl, by the mechanical embossing of a design on the surface of a sheet of coated paper shade material, the design being impressed into the paper material with sutlcient force to break the grain of the paper.

A second important problem in the manufacture of paper window shades concerns the appearance of the shade when viewed with a strong light behind it, or at any time when the shade is in position in a window frame and the light from the outside exceeds that on the inside. A further object of the present invention has been to provide a solution for this problem.

when held up to the light, practically au sheetv paper, including even the most expensive bond and book papers, present a blotched and mottled appearance, due to the tendency of the cellulose fibers to concentrate or mat unevenly in the paper making operation. Possibly because of the long familiarity of the purchasing public with cloth base window shades which disclose a regular arrangement of the bers of the fabric when viewed before a lighted background, or possibly because the mottled appearance of the paper sheet is in and of itself inherently unsightly, it is unquestionably true that the appearance of paper when held to the light is less pleasing to the average person than other sheet materials.

which disclose a more regular arrangement of' lights and shadows over the surface of the sheet.

Various eilorts have been made to improve the appearance of paper window shades by means of design printing on the face of the, shade or by light pattern embossing directly on the surface of the paper. Although the general appearance of the shade may be somewhat improved in either of these ways, neither ordinary printed ground, and the latter predominating when itA designs nor embossing, alone, are really effective in improving the unsightly, blotchy appearance of the paper when the shade is drawn and has a strong light behind it. In fact, the embossed designs are invisible under these circumstances, 5 except upon very close inspection.

Having in mind the correction of the difliculties to which I have just referred, one of the objects of the present invention has been to provide a paper window shade in which the tendency of the paper to retain the curl imparted to it by the roller has been counteracted by the application of a coating to the paper sheet and the breaking of the grain of the paper fibres bymeans of the embossing thereon of a design having a regular arrangement of ridges and depressions, at least a portion of which runs contrary to the grain of the paper.

Another object of my invention has been to provide a paper window shade which has an improved appearanceat all times and an increased utility, because of the embossing of the paper with a regular arrangement of ridges and depressions applied withsuflicient force to break the grain of the paper, and in which the appearance is further improved by reason of the printing on the surface of the shade material `of a pattern or design which will be readily apparent when the shade is held before a strong light, but which will be partially concealed by a coating and dominated by the embossed pattern when the shade is viewed before a darkened background.

A further object of my invention has been to provide a shade-in which the base material therefor, such as paper, has had imparted to it two different types of patterns, one printed and one embossed, the former predominating when the shade is positioned before a lighted backis positioned before a d-ark background.

A further object of my invention has been to provide a method of producing a shade having the advantages hereinbefore described.

Other and further objects will become apparent from the following and more detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a general view of a window frame, showing the improved window shade of my invention, in position thereon.

Figure 2 is a greatly enlarged portion of the shade, positioned before a darkened background, and with the embossed design predominating over the printed design.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, except that the shade is here shown in position before a lighted background, and the printed design predominates.

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on line 4 4, Figure 2, showing in a partially diagrammatic way, the effect of the embossing on the shade material and the relative positioning of the printed design and embossed design.

Referring again to the drawing fox` a more detailed description of the invention; the window frame is indicated generally at E, Figure 1. A conventional window shade roller 6 is supported between brackets 1 1, in position on the upper portion of the window frame. The window shade 8 hangs from the shade roller and may have a stiener 9 inserted in a hem at its lower edge. A pull cord lll may be secured to the stiffener in the conventional manner.

The embossing Il on the surface of the shade is composed of raised lines I2 and depressions I3. When the shade is viewed before a darkened background, embossing of the type illustrated appears as an uneven thread pattern. When the shade is placed before a lighted background, the printed pattern I4 dominates the embossed pattern Il, as shown in Figure 3. The printed pattern, which may comprise the thread design illustrated, is formed by lines l5 which are printed on the shade material, before the material is covered on both sides by conventional shade coatings IE.

It will be noted that in the preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated particularly in Figure 4, the printed design is positioned on the side of the sheet opposed to the side on which the embossed design appears, and on the same side of the sheet as the depressions corresponding to the ridges of the embossed pattern. The reason for this is that the printed design makes a much more effective appearance when viewed through the sheet and against a lighted background. The details of the design are greatly softened, and the illusion of a woven cloth base is greatly enhanced. The embossed design, on the other hand, should be on the side of the sheet on which it is most readily visible, i. e. the inner or room side. When the shade is positionedjin the window and it is dark outside, this embossed design will then show up very clearly and provide an effective illusion of a cloth pattern, whereas the printed design will not beV visible at all. Preferably the two designs should correspond exactly, insofar as this is practical. Particularly, the lines, both horizontal and ver- V` tical, should be spaced an equal distance apart in both printing and embossing as otherwise the total effect is somewhat less pleasing when the shade is positioned before a lighted background.

In the further description of the product and method of my invention, I will refer to printed and embossed designs consisting of a regular arrangement of ne lines close together in simulation of a thread pattern, as constituting the preferred embodiment of the invention. although, as will be subsequently pointed out, it is not intended to limit this application to any one particular design or type of design.

In the manufacture of shades of my invention, if I am utilizing the thread design referred to, I first print one or both surfaces of the shade material with a regular arrangement of fine lines intersecting one another and very close together. The printing may be done with practically any kind of ink, or even with paint or lacquer, provided the lines are kept very fine. It is preferable that the ink or printing medium be comparatively homogeneous chemically with the coating material and, for this reason, if the coating formula subsequently given is utilized, the` printing medium may contain oil, naphtha, and other constituents of the same generic character as the constituents of the coating. Following the printing operation, the shade material will present an appearance which is very similar to that of the pattern of a cloth shade.

Next, I coat the shade material on one or both sides with a conventional shade coating material. Although the exact constituents of the coating are not of the essence of the present invention, I direct attention to the coating composition disclosed in United States patent to Johnson, No. 2,064,165. This coating composition is equally applicable to a shade manufactured in accordance with the present invention. As set out in the United States patent to Johnson just referred to, an example of the coating which may be used is as follows:

Water poundsu 200 Kaolin clay do 200 Boiled linseed oil do Lithopone -do 75 Naphtha gallons 10 Ammonia quart- 1 Pigment ground in linseed oil -pounds 12 Manganese dryer -per cent 11/2-2 Other inert fillers may be used in place of the kaolin clay. Boiled China-wood oil, boiled ilshoii, or other drying oils may be substituted in whole, or in part, for the boiled linseed oil. In place of the lithopone, White lead or titanium oxide may be used. In place of the naphtha, toluol or other volatile coal tar or petroleum distillates may be employed. The pigment ground in oil may be selected from the well known mineral pigments, the exact quantity used depending upon the color strength of the specific pigment and the desired color of the finished shade.

The coating should be applied smoothly and evenly, but not too thickly to defeat one of the concepts of the invention, which is substantially to conceal the printed design at all times, except when the shade is held up to the light. advantages of the coating reside in the fact that the surface of the shade is thereby Vrendered washable, the general appearance and feel is greatly improved. and the material is given a body which makes the shade material less susceptible to retention of the curl imparted by the roller.

After the coating has been applied, the shade material is then subjected to an embossing process in which a design, which may be substantially identical with the printed design, is embossed on one or both surfaces of the shade, preferably both. It is not essential that the location on the material of the embossed design exactly coincide with the location of the printed design, because, since the printed design is concealed bythe coating at ordinary times, and the embossed design is practically invisible when the shade is held up to the light, at no time are both designs simultaneously visible.

In addition to improving the appearance of the shade, if applied with sufiicient force in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, the embossing will have the effect of breaking the grain of the paper, and, as described Other 1 in Johnson Patent No. 1,805,733, the tendency of the shade to retain the curl imparted to it by the roller will be obviated to a very considerable extent. As previously stated, the coating is also of some assistance in accomplishing this result.

It is entirely possible to practice the method of the invention by reversing the last two steps of the process hereinbefore described, and coat the shade after it has been embossed. However, the shade will present a superior appearance if the embossing follows the coating operation.

Although the preferred embodiment of my invention contemplates the use of a printed design and an embossed design, each composed of a regular arrangement of vertical and horizontal lines close together in simulation of threads, the invention can also be practiced by the use of any other embossed design in which a regular series of lines is impressed into the paper transverse to the grain. It can also be practiced by the printing of one design and the embossing of an entirely diierent design.

Regardless of the design employed, the resultant shade is a very superior commercial product, which, in the same structure, provides an answer toall of the criticisms most frequently levelled at paper window shades. The tendency to curl is almost completely eliminated, as a result of the mechanical and chemical treatments and printing, the shade will have an appearance very similar to, and of an attractiveness at least equal to, a cloth shade of good quality. In addition, the shade can be washed free of all ordinary stains with ordinary soap and water, without impairment of any of the properties.

Having fully described my invention, I desire to be limited only by the ensuing claims:

1.l Window shade material, comprising a paper base, a series of ne lines printed vertically and horizontally over substantially the entire surface thereof to provide a pattern resembling that of Woven cloth, coatings superimposed on both sides of the sheet and partially concealing the printed design, and a second design embossed on the outer surface of the coatings, said second design comprising a series of vertical and horizontal lines spaced apart substantially the same distance as the lines in the printed design, and cooperating with the printing to provide a cloth-like appearance when the material is before a light background.

2. A window shade, comprising a roller,and a sheet of material ainxed thereto, said sheet comprising a paper base and a series of ne lines printed vertically and horizontally over substantially the entire surface of the side of the sheet exposed to the outer light when the roller is positioned in a window frame, coatings superimposed on both sides of the sheet and partially concealing the printed design, the coating on the side of the sheet not directly exposed to the outer light being embossed with a uniform arrangement of vertical and horizontal ridges, forming a design substantially identical to the printed design on the reverse side of the sheet, and cooperating with the said printed design to provide a clothlike appearance when the material is held before a light background.

ARTHUR L. THEXTON. 

